Reaper
by Hope Hannigan
Summary: Rogue has fled the Institute after the explosion that destroyed it. She finds herself tangled with the Hellfire Club and Emma Frost. Who is the lion and who is the lamb? Or better, who is the angel and who is the devil?
1. Prologue

Prologue

For the tenth time since the music started she wondered what the fuck she was doing there. Then Emma's words rang loud and clear in her mind. I welcomed you, I fed you, gave you a warm bed. I could send you back to the world as the penniless runaway that you are... But where would you go? Who would you turn to?

And she was right. She was a runaway. She had no memories whatsoever of her life before her powers manifested, or more like she guessed it was the event that triggered the loss of memories. She had woken up in a low-class motel, with nothing but the clothes on her back, cash, a driving license stating she was Anna Marie D'Acanto and motorcycle keys. She was barely sixteen. She freaked out when she started to hear a foreign voice inside her mind. The lone voice, at that point, told her she was a mutant and had absorbed him. He showed her the scene from his perspective. He also apologized for taking her away. As he told her, they had lived in a small community in Mississippi and people didn't like mutants. She was grateful, she guessed. Neither knew why her memories were erased while his were intact. She had dreams, sometimes, dreams of a little girl called sometimes Anna, sometimes Marie. Which was the real her, she didn't know. Cody, that was the boy's name, confessed he had always had a crush on her. His psyche was sucked in when they kissed. Somehow, skin on skin contact triggered a reaction from her.

She found out how true that was the next evening, when she ate at a dinner somewhere on her way North. Two bullies tried to force their presence on her. It lasted until one of them grabbed forcefully her bare arm and dropped unconscious on the ground. His mate looked at her with fear. The waitress came over with alarm, asking what she had done to the guy. "Ah know the pressure points to neutralize an opponent, it's all," she tried to say flippantly. None were buying her act so she dropped a bill on the table and exited.

Lying down on her motel bed that night, she heard the second voice that joined Cody's. Next morning, she stopped at a mall and purchased gloves, long-sleeved blouses and enough make-up to cover up her face. This way, no one could touch her bare skin anymore. According to Cody, she always had a tendency to choose dark colors and heavy make-up, and if the black remnants of nail polish were any indication, he was right.

That day, she also used a public phone to call Cody's parents. She had introduced herself as a schoolmate worried about him. His parents told her he was in a coma, and that the doctors were optimistic about his chances to recover eventually. The brain had no damage. She sighed in relief.

Two years later, she was eighteen and a dancer in Emma Frost's club. She was still untouchable. All dancers were mutants like her. Some had visible mutations, like Marrow, some not, like herself. She had countless psyches trapped within her mind. She had created a palace for them. A manor, a fortress where they stayed. Each had a room. That way, they left her alone most of the time. She could hear their whispers but if she focused on what happened outside her mind-scape, she drowned them out.

Emma also told her that she had a natural shield against telepathy. As her ability was akin to telepathy of contact, she had control over outside influences.

Now Emma wanted her to dance. Again. She slipped into her Rogue persona. A luscious smile on her lips, she grabbed the pole and spun around it. She loved the Burlesque art. The clothes, the make-up, the seduction. As long as it stayed a game she could handle it. Customers nicknamed her the Untouchable. She would always be covered in sheer, see-through material when she mingled with them. But on stage... On stage she was free to show skin, she could enjoy the air on her corset-clad body. At the Hellfire, she was the finest dancer. Thriving for herself, fighting for survival had sculpted her body. She was shapely, her movements sharp and precise. Graceful as a cat, she oozed sensuality.

The song came to an end. Even though she had been distracted by her thoughts, she had accomplished her routine flawlessly. She felt a fearless hand graze her calf as she turned to walk away. She stiffened, waiting for the absorption. When nothing happened, she looked down at the person who recklessly grabbed her, against the Club's policy. Her emerald eyes plunged into red-on-black orbs that glowed. She could see them even with the stage lights blinding her.

She felt like the devil had finally caught up with her and was claiming the souls she stole along with hers. For a second that lasted an eternity, Anna, no, Rogue lost herself to the stranger's touch.

Emma's shrieking voice snapped her out of the daze she was caught in. She snatched her leg from the Devil's hand and hurried away. Hidden behind the heavy curtains, she looked at the scene unveiling in the main room. Emma was talking with the Devil. How appropriate, she thought, that the Devil pays the Hellfire Club a visit. The exchange between the White Queen and the Devil lasted a while. To Anna's surprise, Emma threw her a look and nodded to whatever the strange man told her.

The man went back to his table and Emma went backstage. Anna's friend Marrow was dancing her routine already. Anna headed towards the changing room. She dropped on the chair facing her mirror. She tried to analyze the situation. She didn't absorb the man - or was he something else? - and she couldn't figure out how that could be. She was the Untouchable Rogue. No customer dared to touch her. They knew she could access their darkest secrets, their deepest thoughts, their most shameful desires with a touch. Barriers against telepaths didn't work against her. Who would dare to touch her?

There had been cases, men enthralled by her who recklessly touched her nonetheless. None walked away unaffected. She had to master her control yet. How could he?

Her train of thoughts was interrupted by Emma. "I have no idea what happened up there, Emma," she started.

"It's okay, dear. He is a mutant. One of the side effects of his mutation is a kinetic shield surrounding his body. It shields him from me as well as you. The anomaly doesn't come from you." Emma said as she queenly sat beside Anna. "He requests your presence," she added with a shark-like smile.

Anna shivered, thinking about the Devil... The mutant that awaited her. "Emma," she squeaked weakly. Emma did not like weaklings.

"You will go and have a nice conversation with this Gambit person. I will not hear otherwise."

Anna muttered an approval. Emma was harsh, but she looked after them. None of the girl were forced to do anything they weren't ready to do. She expected them to work and earn their money though. Dancing was only a side of the coin. The other side was entertaining the gentlemen, sometimes pose as waitresses if the staff was low on employees. Nothing too hard and definitely nothing that involves disrobing more.

She tied the belt of her vintage dress as tightly as she could. She checked her makeup and hair, smiled at her reflexion and exited. As a sixteen years old runaway, she had been awkward and outward Gothic, with no sense of measure or proportion. Two years later, she had mastered the Burlesque art of covering up without hiding herself. Entice and seduce instead of repulse and turn off.

She didn't know how she felt about meeting someone - a man! - immune to her powers. She needed to be in control of the situation. Seduce him before he could seduce her. Maybe she would even get from him what she had never gotten from anyone. Intimacy. Touch. Her shiver of much anticipated delight turned into a shiver of fright when she remembered those enthralling eyes that seemed to see her very naked soul.

She braced herself for what was to come and, with a sway in her hips and a luscious smile on her lips, made her way toward the Gambit.

AN: I decided to add the AN in the end, so you could enjoy this prologue without my unstoppable chatter. The idea came to me while watching Burlesque. I'm not a big Cher or Christina Aguilera fan, but I do love the Burlesque art. Check out Dita Von Teese for starters. For the Wolverine And The X-Men lovers, this is set after the explosion that destroyed the Institute and before Wolverine formed a new team of X-Men. It's slightly AU as you will see in future chapters.

I will be posting three stories I've been working on since last September. One is Reaper, the one you're reading. One is Family, set in movie-verse right after X-Men First Class and the last is Rogue's Baby, set in X-Men: Evolution.

Happy readings, my dears. I hope to hear your thoughts on it. I would say that I will update first the one that gets most attention, but that would be lying. I'll update the ones I have chapters completed for. I will also try to stick to a strict schedule of updating each every weekend. I also have to update Xperimenting Xmas but I have a hard time deciding if the chapter I wrote is good enough. Saying goodbye to that version of Rogue once more is more difficult than I thought.


	2. Chapter 01

Chapter One

It wasn't his first visit to New York. How he never found out about the Hellfire Club before, he didn't know. As he took his seat near the stage, he pondered the reason of his presence there. He had been sent to retrieve a very special jewel. He was a thief and loved every minute of planning, staging and completing a heist. He was there on recon, getting used to the place. Trying to spot the valuable merchandise he was to steal.

He worked on contract only. It saved him from finding buyers once the heist done. It cost money to steal, he needed to be sure he could get his investment back.

He raised his eyes from his drink when his empathy picked up the change of mood in the room. His eyes met the dancing form on stage and were stuck. He couldn't look away. He almost forgot to breathe as his eyes took in... The jewel he was to steal. The Untouchable Rogue. She had looked awkward and sad on the pictures he saw. They were two years old. She grew up to become a stunning young woman. Enraptured, he moved by instinct when she moved to leave the stage. His hand shot out and kept her on the spot by her ankle. His eyes turned upward and two pools of emerald met his demon eyes. He remembered instantly what her mutation was and braced himself for the moment it would kick in.

Her eyes widened with surprise. Nothing happened. Nothing. Her eyes snapped up to a point behind him as he heard someone scream at him. She snatched her leg from his hand and hurried backstage. He turned to the blond beauty. He also knew her from her file. Emma Frost. He slapped on a pleasant smile, readying for the not so pleasant conversation about to happen.

"You've been explained the policy!" she started, her voice high and screeching.

"I was. Je suis désolé, miss Frost. I actually was convinced to come here by some friends. They told me to come enjoy The Untouchable Rogue's number. They were right, she is a sight to see. I would like to meet her and congratulate her on her performance in person."

Emma crossed her arms, but he could tell he was breaking through her defenses. He felt her trying to telepathically read him. "How come you didn't drop unconscious as soon as your skins touched?"

He cockily grinned. "Kinetic shield. My mutation. I cannot lower it even if I want to. Keeps me safe from telepathy. I guess that's the reason."

She nodded, satisfied with the explanation.

"Now," he added, "I would rather pay her a drink and enjoy her company for the rest of the evening." He flashed her a hundred. "More are to come."

She discreetly accepted the money. "I will talk with her. She will be at your table really soon."

He watched as the scantily dressed woman made her way backstage, noting where its entrance was. The information might come in handy in the future. Emma came back in the main room with a smug smile. A couple of minutes later, the Rogue followed her. Her eyes searched the room and landed on him. He stood up to greet her as she came closer. With a bow and a kiss on her hand, he welcomed her.

"Mes excuses for my rudeness earlier, Rogue. I was, I still am under your spell." he started.

He looked up on time to see her crimson blush creep under her make-up. A coy smile on her lips, she thanked him. He helped her to her seat and called a waitress. As soon as she was walking away with their orders, Gambit leaned toward Rogue. She was torn between fight or flight. She was fidgeting and pulling at her gloves' seams.

He gently laid his big, masculine, gloved hand on her. Gloved? She puzzled a moment over the detail. He wasn't wearing gloves earlier. "Don't be afraid of me, Rogue. I want to be your friend."

Her eyes hardened. She had no friends. Friendship didn't help her in the past. They became enemies as soon as she accidentally absorbed them. He noticed her change of mood and didn't resist when she took her hand from his. "Friends?" she said with contempt. "Friends are for the weak. I don't."

Even though he was there on a job, he found hard not to take this personally. He was only acting, he reminded himself. His usual smooth talk wouldn't work with that young woman. She had had it hard enough that she couldn't trust anyone.

The waitress chose the short silent moment to bring their order. Each took a sip, examining the other. Rogue put the drink down, curiosity eating her. "You have a Southern accent," she stated, a wave of homesickness overwhelming her.

"Remy comes from la plus belle ville au monde, beside Paris. Big Easy... Nawlins." he replied, his love for his hometown obvious. She sensed he was homesick too.

"I never visited it... I think. I was told it's a sight to see."

"Maybe we could go together someday. I bet you miss the South, living up here in the cold Big Apple."

Her eyes widened. Two years and she thought she had gotten rid of her telltale accent. "How... How do you know I'm a Southerner?"

"Northerners might buy your fake accent but you can't fool Remy." She stiffened and looked for an escape.

He felt her panic and tried to emphatically soothe her. When it didn't work, he grabbed her hand and traced soothing circles in her palm. "I'm not someone you need to be afraid of, Rogue. If it had to remain secret, it will. You are the one who brought up the subject of origins and I assumed it would be okay to talk about yours," he explained. She somewhat calmed down. She looked at their linked hands in wonder. He softly removed her glove, than his. He tentatively reached out and touched her bare hand with his. Her skin was soft, and warm for being protected by the gloves most of the time.

She made a small sound of protest when he stopped touching her. He swiftly removed the remaining gloves and held both her hands. He caressed her skin softly. She was speechless, those were only hands touching but she felt naked. The skin of her whole body was tingling and begging for the same attention than her hands. As his hands worked on hers, her breath caught in her throat and her temperature rose. She bit her bottom lip to contain the moan that was building in her throat. His eyes were focused on their touching skin do he didn't see her distress. He had never touched such soft skin before. It made him wonder what the rest of her body felt like. Her innocent, untouched, untainted body. His purpose was forgotten as he imagined her laying on his bed, her pristine white skin on display for his eyes to drink. He could feel his hands roaming on her body, learning how she reacted, teaching her countless pleasures.

"Everything is to your liking, mister Gambit?" interrupted Emma Frost.

Snapped out of their daze, they looked up at the White Queen. She took in their looks. Rogue was flushed and flustered, breathing hard. Gambit was entranced and his eyes screamed hunger and lust. She felt like she had walked in on them in a bedroom.

"Everything is fine, Emma," Gambit answered with a voice as cold as her family name. The White Queen cringed. She turned to Rogue. Her job was to look out for her girls. They trusted her to protect them to the best of her abilities. Rogue slightly nodded, thus indicating she was fine. Gambit caught the exchange and relaxed. He understood why Emma had interrupted. Rogue looked either aroused... Or distressed. This mother hen attitude of hers would make his heist more complicated. He would need Rogue's trust and cooperation if he didn't want the whole club to bring hell on him.

Tried as he might, Rogue avoided skin on skin contact for the rest of the time they had together. She soon excused herself, claiming fatigue to escape his presence. Gambit was lost. She seemed to rather appreciate him and his ministrations. Despite her obvious liking of him, she took her chance to fly from him at the first opportunity. He soon left the Club. He had seen what he needed to see. He had seen the mark and the object of the heist. He would return, get to know the Untouchable girl, and find a way to lure her where he could steal her from her current guardians.

AN: I said I would wait a week in between chapters... but a prologue isn't a chapter, is it? I hope you enjoyed it. 

Disclaimer: yes, I forgot it. But then, I'm posting this story on a fanfic website with the category clearly displayed. If I could make money off the plot-twist I'm creating for Marvel's character, I would be working for them and making money out of it. Last I check, Marvel didn't pay me any money... I do pay them for my fix of Comic Books, though. So, do we really need a disclaimer? Apparently yes. I am, as you are, well aware that everything recognizable belong to their rightful owner, whomever that is. I "stole" a sentence from Chellerbelle, but it's easy to spot. If you want to know which, check her fanfics, she's in my favorites.


	3. Chapter 02

Chapter two

Life went back to normal for Rogue. She woke up, trained with Emma to try and gain control, got ready for the night, danced, changed, met with Gambit for an hour or so of talking and touching. The routine continued for a couple of weeks. He never tried to go further than hand touching and she was thankful for that.

Everything was normal for almost three weeks. Gambit had warned her that he would not be there the next night. He told her that he had some business to take care of outside the city. She had felt some strange pinching in her heart when he had announced it. She was going to miss him.

That night, Rogue went about with her usual business and left as soon as her number was done. She wanted to go home and relax some. When she arrived at her apartment's door, she noticed something was amiss: the door was open and the locks broken. Removing her gloves, she carefully made her way inside. She possessed a stealth she didn't know she had. She tiptoed through the apartment, silent as a cat.

She stopped near the door of her now lit bathroom. She jumped in, ready to attack. She stopped when she found her former best friend lying on the ground. She seemed unconscious, blood pooling under her limp body. Rogue knelt next to her, calling her name. "Carol!" They had parted ways when Rogue joined with Emma against Carol's opinion on the matter. Before that, they had roamed together for over a year.

"R... Rogue..." came Carol's weak voice. "A... Absorb..." She lost consciousness again. Rogue, already stripped of her gloves, lightly touched Carol's cheek. The first thought she saw from the blond girl was an instruction to absorb all of her she could. She knew she didn't have much longer before she passed away. Tears flowing on her cheeks, she absorbed her friend until the last drop of her mind and powers. When the last breath escaped her friend's lips, a wail escaped Rogue's throat. She lost consciousness, her body curled against Carol's cooling form. 

Rogue opened her eyes. She gasped. She was inside her mind palace. It oddly looked like the X-Mansion, before it was blown to pieces. She could tell all the people she knew, all the people she ever absorbed were there. She liked to come there when things were bad outside. She visited that place often when she was asleep. She didn't exactly dream like regular people. She slowly walked through the foyer, taking in her surroundings. It felt good to be back, even if it was only in her imagination. The place had felt like home for the short while she lived there. If Wolverine was like a father, Carol was like a sister. She never feared to hang out with her. The rest of the students always steered clear and avoided her. Truth to be told, Rogue was as ruthless as her mentor and she didn't hesitate to use her mutation on any of them when in training in the Danger Room. She ended up with pieces of all of them inside. That's why she needed to build a mind palace so she could store them all away. They were noisy and nosy. Only her could cross the entrance door and go to the real world to control her body.

She climbed the familiar stairway, knowing exactly where to find Carol. Their old room. She stood in the doorway, taking in the changes Carol already made to the room to fit her present self. The light blue she used when they were at the Mansion together took a darker hue. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed, obviously waiting for Rogue to show up. She smiled at her friend.

"Long time no see," said the blond girl as the striped-haired one plopped herself on her own bed.

"Well," said Rogue. "Not such a long time, seeing how we are both lying on my bathroom floor."

Carol looked away. "You are. I am no more. They killed me."

Rogue sat up in anguish. "I killed you."

"You didn't. You saved what little was left of me. I can live on in here. My body was almost dead. They have power dampeners. It even works on non-mutants."

"Who did this to you?" Rogue whispered. She wasn't sure she would like the answer.

"The Hellfire Club."

Rogue blinked. It wasn't the answer she expected. She thought it was the MRD, or some government related agencies, or even other mutants. But the Club?

"There are two sides to the Club, Rogue. One is the Burlesque facade you know. It's fairly harmless. The other side is gathering some of the most powerful people in the world. Politics, science, economy, they're prominent in so many domains that they are unstoppable at this point. Did you ever wonder why the Club was safe for mutants when the government and the MRD are after them? They have the pull to keep themselves safe. Emma is the heiress of Frost Enterprises. She used her mutation to dismiss her sisters and overthrow her father. I also discovered that any mutant in the Club is out of the MRD's database. Their prowlers could be scanning you, they wouldn't recognize you as a mutant."

"How did you gather all this?"

"I didn't tell you everything about me, Rogue. I used to work for the government. I was to infiltrate the Xavier Institute and find out the threat level. When I found out what it was like, I resigned. I stayed. And when the Institute was blown, I stayed with you. Anyway, when you left to join the Club, I went back to my employers. They didn't give me assignment right away so I took the opportunity to look into the Club's files. I found some intel. Two days ago, I broke into Sebastian Shaw's office. He found me there. He overpowered me. He locked me in a cell. Oh god, Rogue. The things they did to me... They used a power dampener on me. Some kind of collar. I was helpless. They wanted to know who I was working for, how much I knew and how much I shared with my boss. When they left me alone, I used my training to undo my shackles and the collar. I used the last of my strength to come here. Now you know everything. I'm sorry I hid from you that I used to be an agent. I should have told you when I left them."

"It's okay. It's a lot to take in... Shaw? Emma's best customer? The head of the Hellfire Club?"

"Yes. And if they found out I could communicate with you... they'll hunt you. You need to run from them."

"But they don't know. I'm still safe..."

"What will happen when you have another session with Emma and she finds me here? They want to keep you. I was discovered before I could find what was their purpose with you, but they definitely want to keep you under wraps. I wouldn't expose you to such danger if it weren't a case of life and death." Carol was now sitting next to Rogue and holding her hands, trying to talk some sense in her friend. "Please listen to me. Leave at once."

Rogue wiped the last tears from her face and nodded. "The time to pack a bag and I'll be gone. On the road again," she smiled.

"On the road again," Carol responded. She slowly pulled away and exited the Mansion. Time to face the real world.

She awoke an hour after she lost consciousness. Her eyes fell on the body next to her and she started to cry. Carol's psyche whispered to her that everything would be fine.

She took the time to remember how they met. The disaster had not hit the Mansion yet. The Professor had asked them to room together. Carol wasn't a mutant per se but alien DNA mixed with hers to give her flight, invulnerability and strength.

Despite Rogue's attempts to keep to herself, the blond girl reached her. Beside Logan, Carol was the only person Rogue bonded with. Her lack of memories and control frustrated and angered the Southern girl and didn't make her a very approachable person.

When the Mansion was destroyed they left together. They loaded their motorcycles on the bed of a surviving trailer truck and took off. For months, they lived together and became the best of friends. That was until Rogue found Emma and decided to train with her much like she used to do with the Professor.

Carol felt an instant mistrust and dislike of the other blonde. She couldn't really explain it but she couldn't ignore her gut instinct. With the MRD trying to hunt down and contain mutants, she claimed that she didn't want to stay too long in a single place. Therefore they parted ways.

For months she worked undercover for her government agency, avoiding the MRD. She even learned that Wolverine was piecing together a new X-Team. Rogue smiled at the knowledge. It seemed that her old mentor was finally settling.

What made her cry was the knowledge that came with Carol's passing. The Hellfire killed her. Not the facade Rogue knew. The actual club behind all this. The Burlesque club was just a pretense. Carol had been spying on them for weeks. She barely escaped and made it to her apartment. She knew she wouldn't survive the night: they had managed to damage her beyond repair while she was vulnerable.

She closed her friend's empty blue eyes and covered her with a huge beach towel she always kept handy. She swiftly showered and packed. She wouldn't be returning to the Club, ever. She gathered her money and few valuables, a few change of clothes and, in her motorcycle garb, took off. She regretted to leave her best friend lying on her bathroom floor but she couldn't stick around. If the Club found out that Carol had the time to communicate with her, they would terminate her without a second thought.

She wanted to see Gambit again but she couldn't risk it either. It wasn't safe to stick around long enough to find him. She was on the run again, with her best friend again. The difference was that her best friend's soul was trapped inside her. She took comfort in the thought that, somehow, her friend was living on inside her. When she closed her eyes and visited the imaginary palace she had created for all the psyches lurking in the recesses of her mind, she could see Carol, talk with her and laugh with her.

It was time for a new start.

AN: There. I'm done with this one. A little Carol. If you can see the pattern, a chapter is in Rogue's POV, then Gambit's, then Rogue's again... Thus, next time, it's Gambit's side we'll see. Where was he? What has he done? How will he react to Rogue's absence?


	4. Chapter 03

Chapter three

Gambit came back from a minor heist his Guild had planned for him to find Emma frantic. Of course the lady in white wasn't showing any emotion but as he was a keen poker player, he could see through her frozen exterior.

Taking in the girls' behavior and the heated sense of expectation oozing off the other customers, he motioned the Hellfire Queen to come have a word with him. He smiled pleasantly at her. "Will I have the pleasure of Rogue's company tonight?" he asked with his usual charm.

Emma's face unattractively scrunched up in thought. "She is not here," she reluctantly said.

"Where is she?" Gambit asked while pressing the answers out of Emma with his hypnotic charm. Emma's eyes became slightly unfocused as she replied to his questions with no inhibitions.

"Missing. She emptied her apartment and left without a word, last night. She... She killed someone."

Gambit kept the surprise off his face. He never felt like Rogue was someone to kill in cold blood. "Rogue? It's ridiculous..."

"The police called me a couple of hours ago. The MRD is after her now. I will be lucky if they don't come investigate here. I avoided their scrutiny for years. And she's ruining everything."

"She was so sweet... Innocent..." he mused aloud.

"She has a split personality. I was working with her on the issue. Besides all the psyches, there is one personality inside her own that is called Reaper. This personality believes its mission is to gather a piece of every mutant. Rogue doesn't know about it. I thought I had time..."

"What if it takes over?"

"Then the MRD will be the last concern of all mutants. She will become the deadliest menace we ever faced. Stay away from her, Gambit."

He already knew that he wouldn't. He had a contract. Some people wanted her and he was well paid to deliver. This development was a mere hindrance and he would find her and bring her to the people who wanted her.

As soon as it was inconspicuous to do so, he left the club. His steps led him to Rogue's apartment The MRD was long gone. He looked for clues and when he found very little, he went to his own apartment and hacked into the MRD files. It took him very little time to find out the girl Rogue had supposedly killed was named Carol Danvers and had been at the Xavier's institute at the same time than Rogue. Maybe they were friends, he wondered.

The coroner pictures and report showed that the girl had been expertly tortured. If it was for information, Rogue had no reason to torture someone. She could just siphon it from the person. Something didn't make sense. He already knew Emma had resisted his charm enough to disguise some truths. He had felt it as he pressed for answers. She was honest when she told him about Reaper. She wasn't honest when she said Rogue had killed the girl.

All the information he needed saved in an encrypted file on his computer, he disconnected from the MRD. He had means to contact her, he thought. He eyed his phone. She had given him her number. If she was novel at this running away thing, she still had it. Opening his tracking software, he entered the needed data. He picked his phone and dialed her number. It rung a few times before he was directed to her voice mail.

"Hello. You reached The Rogue. Leave a message. ~beep~"

"Rogue, this is Gambit. You didn't show up for our date. Emma told me you didn't go to work. Tell me you're alright." was the short message he left before he hung up.

Even without an actual call connection, his software could track her down as long as the phone was on. She was on the move and going South. Going home maybe. He synced the software with his mobile phone so he could be updated with her location anytime. Taking a few necessities with him, he got on his motorcycle and sped out of NYC. He drove recklessly, determined to catch up with her. He didn't care what Emma told him. He was immune to the girl's power.

He stopped on the side of the road when he felt his mobile vibrate in his pocket. "Gambit," he curtly replied.

"It's me," came Rogue's small voice. She sounded like she had cried.

"Chère," he said soothingly. "Where are you?"

"I left the club. I can't do it anymore..."

"Emma said you killed someone... The MRD is looking for you. Let me help you."

"You... don't think I did it?"

"No. Gambit think you wouldn't do it."

"Why would you help me?" she asked. "I am nothing to you..."

"You wound me, Chère. I thought we were friends."

"Carol was my friend..." she said heart-brokenly.

"Where are you?" he asked again.

"A motel. I'll text you the coordinates."

"Stay put, chérie. I'm on my way."

They hung up. He checked on his phone. The data collected thanks to his software confirmed the info she sent him. He made a call to a guild member. "I need you to clean my NYC apartment. Loot is on the move. Didn't have time... Thanks."

He started his motorcycle again and followed the trail Rogue left. Another couple of hours if he sped up, and he would be there.

A bit over two hours later, a few minutes after midnight, he reached the motel. He went to the main office. Obviously distraught, Rogue hadn't told him her room. Reaching out with his hypnotic charm, he smiled at the elderly lady in charge of the register. "Good morning, chérie," he said.

"Good morning, sir. How can I help you?"

"You see, this poor here in front of you did something really, really stupid. I forgot our anniversary, when I met my beautiful girlfriend. Distraught as she was, she decided to up and leave. I've been looking for her since in every motel in the area... I believe she registered under a fake name to avoid me, she is really smart, you see. But how could I make up with her if I can't find her? How could I give her this red roses bouquet and apologize?"

"Tell me what she looks like..." he could tell the elderly woman, even if she disliked the forgotten anniversary part of his story, was totally loving the chasing to apologize part.

"She has a really distinctive sign. She has chestnut hair but dove white bangs frame her face. She's beautiful and, as I said, smart."

"Anna Robbins fits your description. She signed in at about nine PM yesterday."

His face lit up like a Christmas tree. "It's her. Could you please, please tell me which room she is in?"

"Thirty-three."

He kissed the lady's hand and she chuckled like a schoolgirl. He took a red rose off his bouquet and offered it to her. She blushed and thanked him. "No, I thank you," he said before he departed.

He swiftly reached said room. He softly knocked. When he got no answer, he took his lock picks and opened the door as quickly and inconspicuously as he would with a key. He let himself in silently. With a smirk, he took in her sleeping form. He settled on the couch and watched her rest as he played with his cards. The roses were on the table near the door.

His phone flashed with a text message. Cleanup done. The Thieves Guild was as efficient as ever.

He realized he had closed his eyes a moment when a hand softly shook him to wakefulness. He forced his sore eyes to strain against broad daylight and saw the prize he had been chasing leaning down toward him. He gave her his winning grin and straightened his back. He hated to sleep on chairs even though he had slept in many worse places in his shady past.

He cleared his throat. "Cherie," he said carefully. "How are you feeling today?"

She walked away with a sigh, now sure he was awake. "Better. I'm not over her death though. I will avenge her."

"Do you know who did it to your friend?"

She nodded darkly, her face grim. "The same people who tried to keep me on a leash. The Hellfire club."

Remy wasn't surprised. The club had a seedy reputation. He already knew before he took a step in that club that most of their activities were illegal at best, downright criminal for the most part. He had no problem with that seeing how he was in the business too. He stood up and put a comforting hand on her tense shoulder. "I am your friend, Rogue. If I can help, I will. You can trust Gambit."

"I will not pull you in this, Remy. It's my problem, not yours. But thanks for offering."

"How do you intend to get your revenge? You will need resources."

"I don't know yet. But they will suffer for it. They took the most precious person from me. She was like a sister. We got estranged the last few months, when I joined the club. I thought Emma could help me get control. I was wrong. She just wanted to ensure I was on their side the day I did." Rogue ranted with emotion.

Gambit shrugged on his signature coat and smiled at her. "How about Gambit pays you a nice breakfast? The owner thinks we are a couple who had a fight yesterday. That's the only way I could get her to tell me your room number. You might want to look the part when we get outside, Cherie. Neither of us want to arise suspicion. Especially with the police and the club out to get you."

Putting on her motorcycle jacket, she smiled at him. It was a sad smile but it was genuine. "I can look the part, mon Cher."

She laced her arm with his, taking the roses he offered gracefully. They exited the room and directed their steps to the small 24/7 dinner right next to the motel. They quietly sat in a booth and perused the menu for a decent breakfast. As the waitress took their orders, Gambit removed their gloves to play with her soft skin, much like he did in the club. He was feeling fascinated. The knowledge that he probably was the only person ever able to do so was enticing. Her innocence, her genuine curiosity, he couldn't help but want it for himself and himself alone. If he wasn't to deliver her untouched... He stopped his dangerous train of thought before it could be a train wreck.

He let go if her hands when she turned toward the window with a pensive look on her face. She didn't speak a word during the whole meal beside a distracted thanks to the waitress.

He accompanied her so she could get her motorcycle bags back from the room and, with a goodbye to the nice owner of the motel, they took off. Rogue had decided to take a short trip to her hometown to try and gather herself before she faced the club. She was trying to come to terms with the fact that even if Carol had been mortality wounded, she was still the one who delivered the killing blow.

Gambit silently tagged along, never asking questions she wasn't ready to answer. He secretly hoped that he could stir her out of her way and bring her to his employer's hands with no further trouble. On the second day of their road trip he had to admit that he was having fun with her. He could discern none of the multiple personalities Emma claimed that Rogue hosted.

They kept up the couple pretense every night they stopped in a motel. She didn't want to stay alone and Remy preferred to keep her in his line of sight. Remy liked the way they didn't plan any of their moves. They were unpredictable and, thanks of that, virtually undetectable. It didn't really mattered where they went, where they stopped. As the sun was setting, they pulled up in the parking lot of a cheap motel in South Louisiana, near Baton Rouge.

"Next time," he said as they climbed down their motorcycles, "you let me treat you with a real hotel." His tone was definite.

She raised an eyebrow. "Aren't those unsafe? And you need to make reservations."

"Tell me where you want to stop tomorrow. I'll call a decent hotel there and make reservations."

"In such a short notice?" she questioned, surprised.

"Cherie, you have no idea," he cryptically said.

He wrapped his arm about her shoulders as they were used to. It was one of the only gesture he could make and she wouldn't stiffen. He quickly introduced them, signed the register, and grabbed the room's key.

As they settled in the room, Gambit turned to her with the same question. "Where do you want to be tomorrow?"

"You are from New Orleans," she started.

"We can't go there," he stopped her.

"Well," she thoughtfully said. "I start to feel sore from all the riding. Why don't we stay in Baton Rouge?"

"Good idea," he nodded. He grabbed his phone to make reservations for a night.

"Hang on," she stopped him. "I need to ask you something."

AN: A huge thank you to all reviewers, favoriters and alerters. I can feel the love. It keeps me going.

In case some of you wonder about Remy's ability to influence Emma, let me remind you that, 1) Telepaths can't read him. 2) this power is not really explained in the comics/cartoons/movies because it's not an official part of cannon.

This empathy power, to me, isn't really psionic but a derivation of his bio-kinetic energy. His energy, in this case, can disrupt the bio-chemical balance of one's body and as he can feel the potential energy, he can sense the emotions that influence this bio-chemical balance.

I am no scientist, biologist or teacher. The notion is quite clear in my mind but I am aware that some (all?) might not understand... Let's just say that I have a really good reason for it in my mind.

I am so cruel to leave you hanging here, aren't I?

See you next week!


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